He had issues last year for sure but I am hopeful he turns it around. No one can doubt his physical presence, but I wanna see him break out this year.
I was really tough on Dorian Baker last year, but....
- Thread starter screwduke
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You will know if there has been a change in him or not. If he's dancing with his helmet propped up on his head after a drop then you're probably looking at the same old same old.
If not, then the light bulb has probably gone on.
If not, then the light bulb has probably gone on.
Or if he's laughing with an opposing player on the field of play.
Dorian a really strong kid for a WR...so he isn't going to get jammed at LOS for long by a DB. But his speed is below average (so he can't get behind the defense at all) and his hands are very iffy. Can make the spectacular play at times but often misses on the average catches which make him average/below average with his hands. And his route running can be downright abysmal at times. (Watch Vandy game when we quit on a bunch of routes)
So you've got a below average speed, average hands, below par route running and above average strength/size at WR...so he's not a gamebreaker by any means. Juice and Conrad should get 75% of balls this year.
So you've got a below average speed, average hands, below par route running and above average strength/size at WR...so he's not a gamebreaker by any means. Juice and Conrad should get 75% of balls this year.
You're wrong about below average speed. There's a reason they call him American Pharoah. He doesn't run good routes and he doesn't concentrate enough on catching the ball. I think he will come out with a lot more concentration to detail. He has a chance to go make money after this year.
I think if you go back and look at what his numbers were and compare them to other sophomores in the SEC you'll find that what he did was actually pretty impressive especially when you figure that he had a turd for a QB and a skid mark of an OC
That's true but HE was as much responsible for making that turd and skid mark with his drops and casual demeanor on the field.
He lost faith in Towles' ability to get him the ball. You saw a completely different level of effort when Barker replaced Towles. Right or wrong I'm sure everyone will have their own opinion. Definitely some immaturity that goes into that but it's like in basketball. You put Ulis in the game and everyone is moving without the ball fighting to get open because they know Ulis will find them. Make Goodwin your primary ballhandler and see how much effort you see away from the ball. It's natural for anyone to fight harder when they know that their hard work will be rewarded
No matter how you slice it, there were many disappointments.
I believe Lamar Thomas will be a really big influence on Dorion. Kid has NFL talent but he doesn't have that NFL work mentality yet. Thomas should help with that. Matter of fact, I believe Thomas has a huge positive impact on the entire receiving corp. He will help instill confidence and discipline, two big things you need to be a receiver in the SEC and NFL. Can't wait to see how the guys look on Saturday.
I agree with you but as a player in bakers position. The best thing to do is not be casual. He'll be straight by the season and I expect him to do big things this year
Dorian was young in a very unstructured environment. Idc who you are 600 yards in the sec as a true soph is getting it done. Sky is the limit for Baker if he puts in the work he will be uk next 1000 wr.
If he stays healthy, I am going to stay confident he turns into the player we all hoped he would. I have been as disappointed with him as anyone else, but I do think Lamar may be the right influence he needed to get his head right. Dorian has a ton of physical ability, but his hands are a question. We will find out if it was his poor mindset/attitude or if he just has questionable hands.
I think Dorian's issue is concentration. He is so physically strong that he often engages in a lot of hand fighting rather than using his big body to shield off the defenders. For example in the FLA game he was hand fighting with the DB right until the ball arrived, allowing him to only get one hand on the ball. If Dorian gets his fire back, we will see him destroying defenders with crunching blocks and him making big catches. I look for him to improve from 55 catches to about 70 this year.
His hands were a definite issue, but his route running is great. You could maybe say inconsistent or takes plays off, all fair. But he's a fantastic route runner. The staff must also agree because a lot of the routes he runs are double moves, you don't give that to a guy who cant run routes. One in parcticular that stood out last year was an out route he ran against auburn and, this isn't an exaggeration, had about 15 yards of separation from his man coming out of his break. Unfortunately he probably had 3 drops thats game too though....